Introduction: Fit for a King

This exhibition is now closed

An exhibition like no other

See five hundred years of spectacular royal armour, offering a fascinating insight into the personalities, power and physical size of England’s kings. The skill of the royal armourers was to combine practical protection for tournaments and battle with breathtaking designs and decoration, all Fit for a King.

Delve into a treasure trove of the past in the dramatic White Tower and discover an astonishing variety of unusual objects, including diamond encrusted weapons and the finest arms and armour from around the world.

Entrance to this spectacular exhibition, presented in the White Tower, is included in your standard admission ticket to the Tower and is free for members.

The Royal Armouries

Fit for a King was created in partnership with the Royal Armouries. To find out more about the Royal Armouries and their other collections, click here >

Energy Invest

White Tower exhibitions partner

See some killer objects

The objects on display at Fit for a King show the changes in royal armoury across the centuries. Here are three of the highlights...

1. Silvered armour, about 1515:

Possibly one of the first works produced in Henry VIII’s royal workshop at Greenwich. The decoration celebrates his marriage to Katherine of Aragon, with their intertwined initials, Tudor roses and pomegranates of Spain.

2. Presentation armour, about 1610:

A diplomatic gift presented to James I by Tokugawa Hidetada of Japan in 1613. This armour has been displayed at the Tower since 1662 but for centuries was wrongly labelled as the ‘armour of the Great Mogul’.

3. Gilt armour of Charles I, about 1612:

This spectacular armour was made for Henry, Prince of Wales, Charles’ older brother. However, on Henry's death in 1612, Charles inherited Henry’s armour - and four years later his title.

Fit for a King is presented by the Royal Armouries and Historic Royal Palaces with the generous support of HISTORYTM.